1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus for receiving a control code, a character code, or the like inputted from an external apparatus and executing the outputting operation. The invention also relates to a control method for such an apparatus, a memory medium, and a program.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, a printer interface for allowing an image forming apparatus to form an image on the basis of control information or image information which is sent from an image processing apparatus or an information processing apparatus via the printer interface is constructed as shown in FIG. 9 or 10. FIG. 9 shows a construction such that a print job formed by a client computer 1 serving as an image processing apparatus is sent to a printer 102 serving as an image forming apparatus via a printer interface (I/F) 101 (printer interface cable) and an image is formed by an image forming unit 18. The printer interface 101 is constructed by, for example, a parallel I/F, a network I/F, or the like.
In recent years, in many image forming apparatuses, a mechanism such that if the image forming apparatus has a power saving mode (also referred to as a sleep mode) and is not used for a predetermined period of time, the apparatus enters the power saving mode in which electric power consumption is reduced has been realized.
In the power saving mode, a mechanism such that the electric power consumption is reduced by turning off a part of a non-all-night power source 16 which is supplied to the image forming unit 18 is realized. On the other hand, since an interface circuit 103 needs to receive data from the outside such as a print job which is transmitted from a client computer, a power source is always supplied by an all-night power source 13. A mechanism such that in the power saving mode, when the print job is transmitted from the client computer, the power saving mode is cancelled and the power supply to the image forming unit 18 is restarted, print preparation such that a temperature of a fixing unit is raised to a fixing temperature or the like is made, and after completion of the print preparation, printing is performed is realized.
Subsequently, FIG. 10 shows a construction such that the print job formed by the client computer 1 is sent to a printer controller 105 serving as an image processing apparatus via an interface 104 such as a network (also referred to as “N/W”) or the like, raster image data formed from the print job by the printer controller 105 is sent to a printer engine 107 serving as an image forming apparatus via a printer interface 106, and an image is formed by the image forming unit 18. The printer interface 106 is constructed by a video interface, a network, or the like for transmitting the raster image data synchronously with a pixel sync signal. Also in such a construction, in the power saving mode, although the non-all-night power source 16 which is supplied to the image forming unit 18 is partially turned off, since an interface circuit 108 needs to receive a print instruction which is sent from the printer controller 105, a power source is always supplied to the interface circuit 108 by the all-night power source 13.